As a small child, one of my more memorable traumas, was being smacked in the face by my dentist after I bit him. So it's possible my childhood dental care was not the best. By the time I made it to adulthood, I still had a lot of silver in my mouth -- even after losing many of my fillings with my baby teeth. I tell you this to suggest that I was not one of those people genetically predisposed to a cavity-free life. Then, as a young adult I was diagnosed with, "Deep pockets" and had to have some special procedures done to try to remedy this and improve the health of my gums. However, in recent years I have been having great check-ups and my hygienists are always amazed at how long I go between teeth cleanings, and yet my gum pockets have not increased and I typically have very little tarter. Would you believe, I've been going about 1-2 years between teeth cleanings for the past decade? Not only that, I seldom replace my tooth brush -- using the same one for about a year or more before replacing it. (But I do dip it in Hydrogen peroxide every few weeks!)

Maybe I've just been lucky. Or maybe it's a combination of my diet and dental hygiene. Some scientific research has suggested that our teeth and the health of our heart are linked. For twenty five years I have eaten a diet entirely free of dietary cholesterol, (so no meat/fish dairy nor eggs) and for much of that time I have eaten mostly whole foods, and especially emphasized beans and greens, while increasingly eating less oil and sugar. I've also completely eliminated gluten for close to ten years. But I do eat a lot of dried fruit in my baking and desserts -- something that can make teeth more cavity prone.

But about three years ago, I have developed a little regimen for my teeth. I stumbled upon this as I explored ways to deal with the issue of teeth sensitivity to cold/heat/sweets that I was developing. I was wanting something non-toxic and cheep to deal with this issue. Not only did I find something that completely eliminated my sensitivity, but my most recent check up was the best I've ever had. Not only were there no cavities, but I was told my pockets were gone. Here's what's really amazing -- It had been three years, since I even went to the dental hygienist -- and she barely had to scrape any of my teeth.

Most (but not all) evenings, after I brush my teeth with the lowest priced, non-fluoridated, vegan, gluten free toothpaste I can purchase, I then floss my teeth -- using a sawing motion as I raise and lower the floss on both sides of each tooth. Next I take my damp toothbrush and place about 1/4 teaspoon of calcium citrate powder on it and brush my teeth again. Sometimes I even wait a few minutes before rinsing it while I do a few other things to get ready for bed. I suspect that the calcium citrate not only fills in tiny openings in teeth that when open, may make the nerves more sensitive to chemicals and temperature changes, but that by doing this right after flossing, when gums sometimes bleed, it may also facilitate calcium getting into the tissue around the teeth, and perhaps serving some useful purpose there.

All I know, is that my teeth are no longer sensitive, and my dentist told me that teeth and gums look good. And I am saving money. By the way, I drink unfluoridated water, and never get fluoride treatments from the dentist.

I have sensitive teeth and a lot of cavities, so I've started your protocol of brushing with calcium citrate powder.

Reply

Lorraine Asturino

4/12/2017 12:19:11 pm

Here are the results of my brushing with calcium citrate powder. I have not kept up the regimen every day, but only about three times a week. My tooth sensitivity is completely gone. I had a dental checkup today and have three cavities. My dentist advised using toothpaste with fluoride, which I didn't want to do, but he insists it will make a difference so I'll give it a try.

Reply

JoAnn

4/12/2017 12:32:50 pm

Lorraine:

Thank you so much for following up and sharing your experience. I am glad to hear that you too found your tooth sensitivity decreasing as I did from the calcium citrate.

Please keep in mind, you can do BOTH what the dentist recommends (brushing with flouride) AND also brushing with calcium citrate after you floss -- it's not either or. If you are getting lots of cavities, you might need to do more dental hygiene than others.

You might also want to consider dietary factors that could be playing role.....sticky dried fruit seems to be one of the worst things for promoting cavities -- even worse than sugar, since it adheres to the teeth. For those who are gluten intolerant, consuming gluten may contribute to dental problems...and while I can't site science on this last point, I have noticed anecdotally that the people I know who have shifted to meat heavy diets, seem to have more dental problems.